Join CNY Skeptics for a Skeptics in the Pub: Trivia Night event! This month, we will be at The Distillery on Erie Boulevard in Dewitt, NY, courtesy of the Syracuse Trivia Company. Come and test your trivia knowledge. No cover charge, but you must pay for your own drinks and food.

Celebrate the Solstice with CNY Skeptics

It’s almost time for the annual CNY Skeptics Solstice Party. Our hosts are the always gracious Bryce and Judy Hand. The date of the party is Saturday, December 16, and the time is 6 pm.

Feel free to bring a friend and a musical instrument. While most of us are secular humanists, we still like to sing holiday songs.

The Hands will provide turkey and stuffing, a vegetarian dish, and hot spiced cider. The rest is up to you. Appetizers, veggies, salads, desserts, wine, and beer are welcome. Email the Hands with your dinner contribution.

Join CNY Skeptics for a Skeptics in the Pub: Trivia Night event for October 18th! This month, we will be at The Distillery on Erie Boulevard in Dewitt, NY, courtesy of the Syracuse Trivia Company. Come and test your trivia knowledge. No cover charge, but you must pay for your own drinks and food.

Orbs or Dust: Demystifying Alleged Paranormal Photography

Kenny Biddle

About the talk
This presentation goes into the most popular forms of “ghost & spirits” that are allegedly caught on camera & video. We’ll take a look at examples from ghost hunting groups and famous ghost photos, and compare them to recreations. We’ll break down how the camera—both still and video—capture these anomalies and ghost hunters misinterpret the images.

About the presenter
Kenny Biddle is a science enthusiast and skeptical investigator of paranormal claims. He applies his knowledge, experience, and critical thinking skills to analyzing alleged paranormal photographs. His work has been featured in Skeptical Briefs (newsletter of Skeptical Inquirer magazine), books by Ben Radford, and several skeptical magazines overseas. He is a photography consultant for MUFON, and does a video series that tackles paranormal topics from a skeptical point of view.

“Wikipediatrician” Susan Gerbic

It’s CNY Skeptics’ 15th birthday, and we’re celebrating by bringing in the Wikipediatrician all the way from Salinas, California! Join us for what’s sure to be a stimulating presentation; we’ll have pizza and birthday cake as well!

About the talk

Affectionately called the Wikipediatrician, Susan Gerbic, founder of Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia (GSoW), will give a presentation on the work done by her team of skeptical activists.

At this presentation you will find out how anyone with access to a computer can improve Wikipedia articles.

The Guerrilla Skepticism editing team enhances the skeptical content of Wikipedia by improving the pages of skeptic spokespeople, providing noteworthy citations, and removing the unsourced claims from paranormal and pseudoscientific pages.

Gerbic is the co-founder of Monterey County Skeptics and is also known for her activism against psychics, who she calls “grief vampires.” See more on Wikipedia.